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Sample Lab Conclusion Paragraph

Initial hypothesis: Magnetic field strength will be proportional to the strength of the current running through a straight wire and inversely proportional to the distance from the wire.

The data collected correlated strongly to the hypotheses, albeit with percent errors reaching as high as 20% [uncalibrated]. (Other sections of this report detailing this information have been removed from this example.)

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The trends in the data support the hypotheses that the strength of a magnetic field was proportional to the current running through a straight wire and inversely proportional to the distance from the wire. However, the significant percent error may indicate mechanical error, which must be accounted for in future experiments.

The accuracy of the results could be improved with better equipment. Instruments capable of measuring the strength of the magnetic field to a more precise number would likely result in a more accurate slope and therefore a smaller percent error. Similarly, although the probe was zeroed between all measurements, there is a chance that magnetic fields generated by electronics in the room might have affected the measurements taken. In the future, the experiment would need to be more isolated to generate better results.

The use of voltage and current in this experiment compels the experimenter to question whether a resistor would behave in the same manner a straight wire does in this setting, or whether the presence of a resistor further up in the circuit might change the magnetic field in any way. Experimentation with a resistor in the circuit would be necessary to determine this.